Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin – 384 pages
ARC provided by Berkley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
After her former band shot to superstardom without her, Claire reluctantly agrees to a gig as a playgroup musician for overprivileged infants on New York’s Park Avenue. Claire is surprised to discover that she is smitten with her new employers, a welcoming clique of wellness addicts with impossibly shiny hair, who whirl from juice cleanse to overpriced miracle vitamins to spin class with limitless energy.
There is perfect hostess Whitney who is on the brink of social-media stardom and just needs to find a way to keep her perfect life from falling apart. Caustically funny, recent stay-at-home mom Amara who is struggling to embrace her new identity. And old money, veteran mom Gwen who never misses an opportunity to dole out parenting advice. But as Claire grows closer to the cool women who pay her bills, she uncovers secrets and betrayals that no amount of activated charcoal can fix.
My Review: 4 stars
Happy and You Know It was the perfect choice after an especially tough week in quarantine. I was ready to dive in head-first after hearing it was a fun, light read. The book was more fluff than substance, but I found myself pleasantly surprised at how witty and clever this book was. There were definitely moments that went below surface level but that was countered with important themes of motherhood, friendship, womanhood & maintaining a certain image in the world of social media. I also enjoyed the underlying mystery/thriller aspect.
It was nice to get insight into other people’s hectic and unfunctional lives – especially those new to motherhood. I found the situations they found themselves in to be completely relatable, even though I began motherhood without social media where a wealth of information was at my fingertips. What do you do when your child hasn’t developed as quickly as his/her friends? How do you ensure your child is getting the right emotional support?
For me, there were a few too many characters. I know they were there to create a sense of authenticity into the world of mommies and playgroups. And of course, the author had to create a believable group of women. However, there were a few times I was trying to keep track of a character who I didn’t care about. I didn’t know their background or where/how they fit in, and didn’t think they were necessary to drive the plot forward.
Overall, this was a completely entertaining novel. Not too deep, not too shallow, it fit right in the middle which made for a great summer read. Moms of any age can relate, especially those with young tots.
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